Rewatching Parasite Revealed a Mind-Blowing Detail I Totally Missed Before!

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Heads up, fellow cinephiles! If you haven’t yet seen Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece, “Parasite,” now streaming on Netflix, I strongly advise you to do so before continuing. Trust me, this film is not to be missed!

The first time I watched “Parasite” remains etched in my memory. Before it became the historic 2020 Best Picture winner, I attended a screening at a modest cinema. Unbeknownst to me, I was preparing to witness one of the greatest movies I’ve ever experienced. Just like the film’s famous house with multiple levels, there are numerous details to spot during repeat viewings, and upon revisiting it recently, I discovered something new that I feel compelled to discuss.

I Noticed The Symbolism Of The Scholar’s Rock A Lot More When I Rewatched Parasite This Time

Earlier this year, the film became available on Netflix among their 2025 releases. However, when it was ranked as one of the New York Times’ best films of the 21st century, I decided to rewatch it. This time around, my attention was particularly drawn towards interpreting the symbolism behind the massive Scholar’s Rock that the Kims receive at the start of the movie.

Initially, I failed to grasp the subtleties and deeper implications hidden within the symbolism of the rock representing the Kims’ quest for wealth and status. However, during this rewatch, it struck me that when the flood occurs in the Kim household, Ki-woo finds the Scholar’s Rock. I had never considered this before, but if the rock was authentic, it would have sunk to the bottom instead of floating. This leads me to believe that the Scholar’s Rock symbolizes the Kim family as a whole. Despite their elaborate scheme to replace the Park family’s staff and potentially rise in social standing, they cannot escape their true class status, which is significantly lower than that of the Parks.

Now it strikes me that the stone directly aligns with the part where Mr. Kim speaks about how rich people are “creaseless.” Typically, stones have jagged surfaces. Moreover, when Ki-woo tosses the stone into a body of water at the end of the movie, symbolizing his aspirations to earn money and free his father from the Park residence’s basement, where he eventually winds up, takes on a fresh significance for me. Over time, stones can become smooth due to erosion. Henceforth, the stone being thrown into the water mirrors Ki-woo’s quest to soften his family’s past, rather than holding onto it tightly and remaining rough.

Then, I Did A Dive Into Bong Joon-Ho’s Intentions With The Rock As Well

Certainly, Naturally, I wanted to explore the real message conveyed by the rock in the movie ‘Parasite’. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Bong Joon-ho explained…

Initially, I perceived it symbolizing the immense burden Ki-woo carried to support his family and advance himself. However, as the production progressed, a different interpretation emerged: perhaps it signified the family’s yearning for an easy path forward, as they resorted to deception in their quest for a higher socioeconomic status.

It’s intriguing to notice that Ki-woo clutches a rock all through the film, and it’s not hard to perceive this prop as a metaphor for the heavy burden he bears in supporting his family by literally carrying a stone. He himself mentioned this point.

Fundamentally, I believe what Ki-woo aspires for is persistence in the dream that he can transform himself into someone who can provide a superior living situation for his loved ones… In essence, this ambition proves to be a relentless burden on Ki-woo’s mind.

An additional aspect of the rock in the film “Parasite” caught my attention this viewing, which I hadn’t fully grasped during previous watches. The unique characteristic of the rock being its ability to float is what saved Ki-woo from getting seriously injured. In movies, characters often survive extraordinary situations like this, and I was taken aback by this newfound depth in “Parasite” that I had overlooked before. I’m looking forward to revisiting the film in a few years to catch more hidden details that may have gone unnoticed during my initial viewing.

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2025-07-14 01:09